


Home To You

by onebatch2batch



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Listen I just need these two to be happy on the holidays, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 07:51:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13095687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onebatch2batch/pseuds/onebatch2batch
Summary: Karen’s response was lightening fast. He could almost picture her standing in a corner by herself, drinking and wishing she were anywhere else. "If I were 2 show up 2 a room of reporters w/ Frank Castle on my arm, it would b trouble 4 both of us."In which Karen goes to a holiday party for work and texts Frank. And feelings ensue.





	Home To You

**Author's Note:**

> Just to clarify: I think Karen would be the type of person to use any texting short cut possible. Also, this is early, and I still haven't finished my Christmas fic, but I couldn't wait. 
> 
> Enjoy!!

It was quiet in Karen’s apartment, beside the gentle snoring of Frank’s pitbull in the corner and the sounds of Frank cleaning dishes in the sink. He’d had about enough reading as he could handle, and felt the need to keep his hands busy. After cleaning his gun, he turned to the mess they’d made during dinner. He began cleaning up, moving around the kitchen with ease. Nowadays it wasn’t unusual to find Frank at Karen’s apartment rather than his own. Not only did she adore the dog, Max, but her apartment felt more like home to him than anything had in a long, long time. 

Frank was just finishing the last dish when his phone pinged. He glanced over at the smartphone (that Karen had all but forced him to buy after seeing the flip-phone he had from David) and huffed in amusement as her name popped up on the screen. He wiped off his hands and opened the text. 

_This is the worst New Year’s party ever._

He smiled, typing out his response. Karen had left a couple hours ago for a work holiday party. He knew she hadn’t wanted to go, but he felt like it was important for her to have some semblance of a normal life, and had urged her to go. He offered to come, but she quickly dismissed it. Frank knew it would have been a bad idea for him to go, but if she had asked he would have gone, if only to make it more bearable for her. 

_I told you I would go, if you wanted,_ he reminded her, sitting on the couch. The television was on the Discovery Channel and he switched it over to the NYC live coverage. 

Karen’s response was lightening fast. He could almost picture her standing in a corner by herself, drinking and wishing she were anywhere else. _If I were 2 show up 2 a room of reporters w/ Frank Castle on my arm, it would b trouble 4 both of us._

Frank chuckled, imagining it, but she shot another text over before he could type out a response. 

_What r u doing?_

He glanced around her apartment. It was unsettlingly quiet without her around, even with the dog snoozing in the corner. _Waiting for you,_ he sent after a moment, deciding on honestly. Truth be told, she’d only been gone a couple hours and he was more than ready for her to come back. He knew partially it was the date; no one liked being alone on the holidays, if they could help it. But at the same time, it felt wrong being here without her.

The little word bubble popped up on his phone, signifying Karen’s oncoming text. He watched as they stopped, then started, then stopped again. Finally:

_I wish u were here._

Frank couldn’t help his smile. Although he and Karen technically weren’t anything more than friends, sometimes he caught himself imaging what it would like to be more. To come home to her and kiss her, rather than just smile and offer to order the takeout. To touch her without having a reason, or tell her how much he liked seeing her in pajamas just as much as he did those pencil skirts. Frank stubbornly shook his head to clear those thoughts and glanced at the clock, which read 11:36pm. 

_Sorry. Would if I could._

Her answer came fifteen minutes later, just as he was watching the people on the television getting excited for the ball drop. 

_What would u do if I was there?_

Frank stared down at his phone, bewildered. His mind raced as he tried to think of an appropriate response. Clearly she couldn’t have meant for that to sound the way it did…right? He hesitated, and then decided caution was the best option. 

_What do you mean?_

Her response was instantaneous. _When the ball drops_

Frank glanced up at the clock again. 11:55pm. He felt a particular, familiar yearning wrapping itself around his chest. It was the same yearning when he thought of what _more_ with Karen would be like. It was the same feeling he always seemed to have when Karen’s fingers brushed his sleeve, or when she cracked a joke and a smile, or when they were sharing a bottle of wine over dinner. He looked back down at his phone and swallowed thickly, then began to type. 

_If you were here when the ball dropped?_ He sent the text, but she didn’t respond. He took a deep breath and tapped his finger on his knee before forcing himself to continue. No going back now. If she wanted to start the conversation, he would oblige her. _If you were here, I would give you a reason to miss the ball dropping._

He held his thumb over the send button, mustering up the courage. It felt like a line, like some sleazy thing some guy at a bar would say after a couple of drinks. He grimaced; it had been a long time since he’d said anything like that to a woman. And he knew that sending the text could change everything. It could drive away the one thing he couldn’t bear to lose, or, well…

He pressed send. And waited. 

And waited.

And waited. 

The clock read 11:59pm when he couldn’t bear the suspense any longer. He switched off the television and dropped his head back against the back of the couch, sighing. The dog whined in the corner, sensing his unease. Frank was just making up his mind to leave before she could return, spare them both the embarrassment, when he heard the sound of keys in the lock. 

He stood slowly, apprehension on his face as the door swung open and well, there she was. But Karen wasn’t angry, or upset, or sad—she was looking at him, breathing like she’d just ran up several flights of stairs. She stepped through the door and looked at the clock on the wall. He glanced over. 

12:01am. 

Karen cursed, and then offered him a wide, slightly embarrassed, breathless smile. Her face was flushed and her eyes were sparkling with laughter. “I tried to make it in time. Can we pretend it’s just turned midnight?”

Frank nodded, a quick jerk of his head, as she came closer. He said nothing as she walked up and the next moment she was in his arms and her lips were on his and _god_ , he wasn’t sure why it took them so long. Her skin was still chilled from being outside but he didn’t mind—every brush of her cold skin on his felt like electricity. She was in his space, her taste on his tongue, her scent in his nose, and every part of him felt awake and very much alive. 

Karen pulled away first to look at him, but didn’t move much further than that. “Happy new year, Frank. I’m glad you’re here. Sorry I didn’t make it in time.”

Frank smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead tenderly. His body was humming with energy.

“You’re here now,” he told her, and dropped his hands to her waist. “That’s all that matters. Happy new year, Karen.”

She leaned up and pressed another soft kiss to his lips, and Frank knew that it would definitely be a year to remember.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy new year's everyone, especially to those of you who give kudos and submit comics!! <3


End file.
